Gas apparatus



(No Model.) I

' W. RENNYSO-N & H. BURGESS.

. GAS APPARATUS. No. 393,662.- Patented N0v. 27, 1888.

INVENTOR ITJVESSES, [7/ I I I i I l I i .dttqrney.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica.

\VILLIAM RENNYSON AND HUGH BURGESS, OF NORRISTOXVN,

A PENNSYLVANIA GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,662, dated November27, 1888.

Application filed January il, 1888. Serial No. 260,459. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM RnNNYsoN and HUGH BURGESS, the latterasubject of the Queen of Great Britain and the former a citizen of theUnited States, both residing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomeryand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gas Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of gasfrom the fluid hydrocarbons, such as petroleum and the like; and it hasfor its objects to provide a fixed gas for illumination and fuel thatwill not condense and form deposits in the pipes and other fixtures, asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

In the manufacture of gas from petroleum and other fluid hydrocarbonsthe great desideratum is to convert the hydrocarbon into anon-condensable or fixed gas which will preserve its gaseous form whencool, and which will not assume a liquid form again under ordinarytemperatures. Heretofore it has been impossible to accomplish thisresult with the apparatus in ordinary use, owing to the imperfect mannerof heating the same, so as to secure the proper temperature and maintainit uniformly during the process of generating the gas.

Our invention is designed to obviate these objections; and to this endit consists in so constructing the retorts or generating-chambers thatthey may be heated from within, as well as from the outside, by atubular core, or so that the heat may be stored within said retorts orchambers and conducted or radiated with uniformity through the same toinsure the perfect decomposition of the fluid hydrocarbon and produce apractically fixed gas for lighting and heating, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

The accompanying drawing, forming part of of this specification,represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the apparatus weemploy in practicing our invention.

Referring to the drawing, the letter A indicates a furnace constructedof masonry or other suitable material; B, the fire-chamber thereof,

and C the ash-pit of the same.

D indicates a retort or series of retorts, which may be either round,oval, or polygonal in cross-section.

E indicates a core located within the retort and supported by means of aseries of pins or projections, F, which serve the additional pu rpose ofradiating, conducting, and distributing the heat and breaking up thefluid hydrocarbon into gaseous form, so as to thoroughly present everyportion of it to the action of the heat and insure its conversion into afixed gas. The said core is hollow and extends through the retort orseries of retorts from the combustion-chamber of the furnace or othermeans of creating sufficient draft to the smoke-stack or chimney, asshown in the drawing, so as to heat the retort or retorts from theinside as well as the outside.

The letter G indicates a pipe leading into one end of the retort, orlower retort when a series of such are employed. The said pipe isprovided with a funnel, injector, or any other well-known means ofintroducing the hydrocarbon.

H indicates a similar pipe for the introduction of water or steam withthe hydrocarbon. The said pipe, however, may be omitted and a combinedsteam and oil injector substituted therefor.

The operation of our invention is as follows: The furnace being suppliedwith fuel and heated to the proper temperature, the hydro carbon andwater or steam are introduced in proper quantities and decomposed in theretort or retorts, producing a permanent gas, which passes out throughthe pipe I to the gas-holder or other place of storage or use. Theproducts of combustion pass up and around the retorts, and in the case ahollow core is employed through the same heating the retort or retortsfrom the inside as well as the outside.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a gas-generator, of a series'of connected retortsand a series of 5 specified.

2. The combination, in a gas-generator, of a series of connected retorlsand connected hollow cores supported conccntricnll y within the retorisby radio] pins 01' supports and C011]- 10 municnting with thecombustionchamber and exit-flue of the furnace in which the retorts arelocated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM RENNYSON. HUGH, BURGESS. \Viinesses:

CHAS. B. BALLARD, ltioiunn RIGHTER.

